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flygonjinn's review
dark
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Slavery, Sexism, Blood, Sexual content, Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Rape
Moderate: Incest and Suicide
Minor: War
racso1854's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape, Incest, and Child abuse
gilroi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I occasionally grow excessively tired of historical fiction about ancient Rome; it's all shining columns and glorious empire. What feeds the empire, one never seems to ask, but Steven Saylor breaks the trend. His Rome is dirty, not in a gritty grimdark way, but in the naturalistic bent that claims all cities, modern and pre-modern. His Rome is the center of an empire that knows something is rotten at its heart, but cannot keep itself from consuming the weak, the poor, the enslaved, the displaced. This is a Rome worth reading about, even if, at times, it's a little too neat.
There are certain 'off' historical details, as in any historical fiction; all of them were, I believe, included to further the point of the novel: the vices of imperialism, the way corruption erodes every corner of the world.
There are certain 'off' historical details, as in any historical fiction; all of them were, I believe, included to further the point of the novel: the vices of imperialism, the way corruption erodes every corner of the world.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Incest
winters's review against another edition
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Incest, and Rape
rachaelbunny's review against another edition
1.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Slavery, Trafficking, Xenophobia, Animal cruelty, Sexual violence, Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Incest, Murder, Rape, Sexual harassment, Violence, Child abuse, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Classism
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